How to Unleash Your Inner Athlete

Advice from Susan Lacke, a runner and triathlete who blogs for Competitor.com

by Kate Ashford and Dana Hudepohl

Photograph: Thomas Fuchs

The average female marathoner is 35, two thirds of women triathletes are over 30, and about four out of 10 female swimmers and road cyclists are 35 or older. Now’s the time to reclaim some of your crazed schedule for yourself and train for an event—maybe even a 5K Zombie Run (TheZombieRun.com). Here are some pointers from Susan Lacke, a runner and triathlete who blogs for Competitor.com.

Choose a goal that scares you: “If it doesn’t give you a case of the butterflies, it’s not a goal; it’s a task,” Lacke says. “It will make the difference between feeling like you checked something off a list and knowing you conquered something badass.”

Get some new apps: Zombies, Run! uses creatures of the undead to set off interval work: The app mixes your own music into its story narrative, and when the Zombies attack, you hit the gas. GymPact holds you accountable for your scheduled workouts by paying you when you check in at the gym or log a run and charging your credit card when you don’t. Other helpful apps: Couch to 5K, Run Half Marathon and FirstTimeTri.

Tell the World: Once you’ve decided to enter a race, post it on social media. Tell your friends. “This will give you some accountability as well as build a support system,” Lacke says.